Do You Want a Park? Then Urgent Action Needed!

Imagine walking to a nice, green park in Southend. Somewhere kids can play, grown-ups can have romantic picnics, festivals and events could come to, even a place your sweet little pooch could run free. All of that is within our grasp, my friend, but if we don't act soon the dream will slip through our fingers.

For quite awhile now Wilmore Park has been all set on paper, planned and ready to go. The Parks & Rec people are just waiting to get the funding to actually create it. Now, though, it looks as if the Capital Improvements Program Budget does not have Wilmore Park included this year.

If we can't get this park into the county bond cycle now, our next chance will be at least five years away. Five years. And that's just to get it funded. Add an additional two years to permit and build. In seven years our puppies will be old!

Seriously, though - here's what we can do. We can send an email to each of the county commissioners this weekend. Here are their email addresses:

ella.scarborough@mecklenburgcountync.gov

trevor.fuller@mecklenburgcountync.gov

patricia.cotham@mecklenburgcountync.gov

jim.puckett@mecklenburgcountync.gov

vilma.leake@mecklenburgcountync.gov

george.dunlap@mecklenburgcountync.gov

dumont.clarke@mecklenburgcountync.gov

matthew.ridenhour@mecklenburgcountync.gov

I'm going to try to make it especially easy for you by showing you my letter. Please feel free to either copy and paste it from below to send from your personal email address or to write your own. Just please take a few minutes today and do it.

Dear

I am writing to you on behalf of myself and my neighbors in Southend. We are aware that Wilmore Park is not currently included in the CIP budget and we are asking you to change that.

Southend is a thriving community but it lacks green space. If we want to continue to draw people in and keep them living in the area, we need a nice park that we can walk to. It would be incredibly popular.

You see, in my neighborhood, we enjoy the outdoors. In fact, as a community, we like to run, bike, walk our dogs, and attend outdoor events. Please speak up on our behalf and put Wilmore Park back in the budget.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Are you going to send the email?! What would you like to see at a park in our neighborhood?